If you go on the Bossier High School campus and attend one of the Bearkats’ practices, you will notice those lime green practice shirts that some of the players will be wearing. They will have one word on the back — invest.

Coach Mike Concilio said this is the “coin slogan” for the year.

“When the coaches staff met the Saturday after our last football game, we felt that we were lacking some investment as a team and to the program,’’ Concilio said. “When we are playing in Week 10, if you beat Benton away, you’re definitely in the playoffs. You’re in.

“If you had something invested in, it means a lot more when you’re getting off the bus. We didn’t feel at that point we had enough invested in the importance of that moment and what it meant to do something for the program and school it hadn’t done in a while. We came in with the word ‘invest.’’’

Bossier finished just outside the playoffs. In fact, the Bearkats were tied with four other teams for the final playoff spot going into the final week of play. They lost to Benton and lost that chance. The Bearkats were eliminated based on the strength of schedule score.

The Bearkats’ 2016 season was filled with a lot of close calls. They took district champion Woodlawn late in the fourth quarter only to lose in the final minutes. They also took the defending Class 1A state champions, Logansport, to the final plays.

Concilio looked at the program and decided to change the goals of the team. He made it simple for them.

“Our goals have changed here. Our kids are on the same page with us. We are finding ways for us to make the postseason. We’re looking at realistic goals and getting somewhere we haven’t been in four years. Starting with putting ourselves practicing and potentially playing in Week 11…. We need to find a way of weathering the storm of a tough district. Have some success on the front end where we can find a way to put ourselves in a situations with power points to where we can say we are playing and practicing Week 11. The kids understand that.”

This class of seniors are bought into this too.

“We’re not sitting here and come out here and say we’re going to take it step by step. Goal 1: Let’s find a way to be practicing Week 11. The classes that come through now since the last four-year drought, they’re trying to make a point to be the senior class that gets back to the playoff,’’ Concilio said. “I can live with those goals because they are realistic.”

Bossier will do that on the back of five starters on offense and six starters on defense. The Bearkats will have to do it with a number of players that will be playing both ways. This will include players like Kalan Green (fullback and free safety) and Quinton Smith (halfback and strong safety).

Bossier is hoping it is successful on the front end of schedule before it hits District 1-4A.

“The front end of our schedule is very important to us.” Concilio said, “because we enter district on Week 4 and we play Benton. You want to see your front end working for you.”

One more thing you will notice, there are three specific numbers on those practice jerseys. Concilio said when asked what they meant, “I’m not telling anyone.” Just like their upcoming season which is kind of an unknown, he’s hoping that his investment from his team will pay off.